Taina: Finally Something Real!
by The Awkward One
Summary: Taina lives in a world of her own, er, mostly. She is always present in worlds of fantasy and her normal life. Finally, the actual world and her fantasies merge to become one. But, as all stories require a plot, this is not entirely a good thing.
1. Prologue

A girl at the age of 14 strode through the halls of her Floridian high school. Her walk was quick and purposeful, her stride long. In that way, she stood apart from the others meandering through the corridor, holding herself as if she actually had a reason to live, although her looks were plain enough.

She wasn't particularly tall for her age, or short, for that matter. Her brown and slightly wavy hair hung about two inches past her shoulders, tinted with a red that shone brightly in the sun, a trait of which she was very proud. The face of this teen was pleasant enough; she herself decided that her eyes were her best feature, being a hazel-y-green. They were, thankfully, where they should be, right above her nose, which, in turn, was right above her small mouth. Freckles were all over her cheeks and nose; acne could be found on the girl's forehead between her eyebrows.

Her clothes weren't flashy either; they were conservative, consisting of blue jeans and a sweater. _ (A/N: Is it called a sweater because it makes you sweat? Then why do we wear them? Once it makes you sweat, it's not really necessary to keep you warm anymore, is it?) _Unless you looked at her feet, clad as they were in lime green tennis shoes and always a pair of crazy socks.

All things considered, with a glance at Tania Mackrel, you would see a rather ordinary girl. But, if it was possible to peek in someone's mind, chances are the spy would, within seconds, be utterly and irretrievably confused. That would be attributed to the fact that Taina was a very strange person.

Continuously flying through her brain were thoughts of the stories she wrote, books she read, movies she watched, songs she sang, lessons she learned, and other random and weirdly intriguing revelations.

Oftentimes, she thought about her favorite characters, in novels she had read or otherwise. All this leant to an extremely interesting life, not one that Taina was directly involved in, but one she was constantly thinking about.

So it was definitely time something happened to her.


	2. Taina Speaks

This morning was cold, for Florida anyway. There was frost on the grass. I had the bright idea to grab a big handful of the frozen lawn. So while waiting for the bus, I curled my fists inside the sleeves of my large purple sweater.

By first block, I had already shed that layer and only felt a slight chill wearing a short-sleeved flowered shirt.

In between 2nd and 3rd block, I found it difficult to open my locker.

I wasn't late, and I wasn't going to be, but because I am Taina, wonderful student, I had to hurry along to Algebra II, because even the slightest chance of being tardy makes my heart pound. Especially late to the strict Dr. Bates' class.

So I was hurrying down the math hall when I dropped my lunchbox. I bent to pick it up when I heard a great rumbling noise. I figured it was just the construction team working away, so I dusted off my lunchbox and kept going. I didn't pay attention to where I was walking and I dropped it again. Along with the books I was holding and, somehow, my backpack fell to the yellow tiles.

Now, I know I'm clumsy, but I'm certainly not _that_ clumsy. There had to be some reason why I was acting like such a oaf, I was certain.

There was, I soon found.

The groaning sound grew much louder, and I felt the linoleum quake beneath me. I joined my things on the floor.

From my crouching position, I attempted to stand, but I just feel back down in an awkward heap of long and awkward limbs. My own limbs. Faintly, my brain wondered why no one else was out in the hallway, screaming and running about like beheaded chickens. _(A/N: Chickens with their heads cut off could not really be screaming, that would be slightly impossible. But it does make an interesting picture.)_

After a few more futile efforts to rise, I let myself rest on the floor. The shaking continued for what seemed to be hours when I felt my body starting to stretch out like a rubber band. Correction: when I got the sensation of my body starting to stretch out like a rubber band. Luckily, I wasn't physically stretching.

Then I got the impression that I was falling. And spinning.

I opened my scrunched up eyes and found that this was happening to me physically. Strange, I mused as I fell out of consciousness and into (what seemed like) a never-ending black hole, it's like when someone ends a nightmare in a cartoon. They just keep spinning and falling and spinning and falling and spinning…


	3. Taina Wakes

I woke up on a soft bed, which confused me instantly. Why would there be a bed at school? Maybe a cot in the nurse's office, but certainly not a bed.

I felt slightly lightheaded, but I tried to sit up anyway. That's when I saw a guy sitting on a stool next to the bed. The first thing I noticed were his emerald eyes, filled with concern. His hair was brown and swept away from his forehead by a widow's peak.

My mouth felt dry as I stared at him. He looked just like…

"Neal?" I croaked.

Confusion spread across his face, but I guess Kel had rubbed off on him a little bit, because it was quickly shoved aside. He gave a jerky nod.

I think I started to blush. Very embarrassing, but who wouldn't get at least a little flushed to meet the man of her fantasies? So I looked down. At bed sheets.

"Am I in your bed?" I gasped. I scrambled to get off of the tangled blankets.

"Oh, don't do that," he told me, reaching over to steady me in case I fell. "I saw you lying in the hall, blacked out, so I brought you in here. Please, sit down. I know you must feel horrible."

I sat. Now here was something weird. Besides being in Neal's bedroom, which was strange enough. He wasn't acting like the Neal I had read about. Although I guess I didn't really know how he would normally react in a situation like this because it wasn't a natural occurrence, or one that Tamora Pierce ever thought to write about.

Neal looked down at his hands, and then back up at me. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, closed it, than opened it again

"I have no idea who you are," he told me.

I tried to jump up again, but he shot me a glare and I quickly stopped. "I'm sorry. I'm Taina," I stammered.

Neal was smiling. In a good-natured way, about how I tripped over my words, I hoped. He held out his had for me to shake (which I did, my heart leaping at the touch of his skin. No, not because I was in love with him, but because he wasn't supposed to be real. I was glad he was, but it was strange. He was supposed to be fictional, and here I was meeting him. It was way cooler than meeting a celebrity.) and introduced himself.

"I'm Neal, er, Nealan of Queenscove, officially. But you know that, don't you." It was a statement, not a question. "And where are you from, that you know so much about me?"

"America. I read about you. In a book. Well, of course. And it was more about Kel, but," I was rambling, I knew, so I stopped, finishing lamely, "I'm not from here."

I think Neal almost laughed. "I could tell." He gestured at my clothes, which I realized screamed that I was a foreigner. How many Tortallians waltz around in blue jeans and tennis shoes?

My cheeks were definitely red by now. "Perhaps I should get some different clothes," I squeaked."

Before Neal had a chance to reply, there was a banging on his door. "Hold that thought," he pointed at me, and bounded over to greet his visitor.

The door opened to reveal a tall girl with very short, light brown hair. Her arms were crossed, her tone stern.

"Neal. You didn't come to any classes this morning."

"I noticed," he told her dryly. "Really, Kel, if you must speak, could you not tell me things I already know?"

"You said you were going to your room for a moment. To change your tunic." Kel continued.

"Which I did. Can't you see? It's all clean, no clumsy jam stain in sight." He smiled brightly.

"You said nothing about making a whole new one."

"Jam stain? I did? Where?" Neal twisted around, pretending to search for the second stain. It was a very comical picture. A giggle escaped my lips.

Kel saw me then. Sitting on Neal's bed. Which was not one of the best places for me to be. Apparently, they were both still pages, so Kel had a crush on Neal.

She looked at me for a moment, her Yamani mask never fading, then turned again to Neal, worry in her voice. "What happened here?"


	4. Taina Listens to Neal and Kel Jabber

**Now is the time for a disclaimer. Now you know why this is a fan fiction and not just a fiction. Here goes:**

**Disclaimer: Anything that Tamora Pierce has created, I have not created. Otherwise, I'm good as gold.**

I told the two my story, of how I lived in a different world in a country called America. I told them how I read about their country in a book; I finished up by telling them that on my way to algebra class I had conked out and was now in Neal's bedroom (that part still kind of freaked me out, but I didn't tell them that. What would Kel say if I displayed my emotions like that?).

"What year pages are you?" I asked. "You're not squires yet, right? Because you still have classes, and all…"

Kel surveyed me, her face showing no emotion (not surprisingly) but I was sure she was upset when she asked, "How much do you know about us?"

I was worried even Kel's Yamani mask would slip (or shatter) if I said 'everything'. While I was debating what to say, Neal piped up, saying, "It's our second year."

Kel definitely was crushing on Neal, then. I really wasn't in the best place. I decided to steer the subject away from my knowledge about these people's lives by saying, "I'm in the ninth grade at home." Noticing their puzzled looks, I added, "That's like a first year, except we start at 14 or 15. I started when I was 13, but I'm 14 now."

"You're 14?" Neal sat up straighter.

"Yeah," I smiled at him. Then I sobered. "My families going to be worried sick when I don't come home."

"You don't know how to return?" Kel asked, in a somewhat softer tone than before.

"I didn't mean to black out. None of this was intentional." I almost rolled my eyes, but stopped myself just in time.

"Well, I won't send you out to crack your head again," Neal grinned at me. I was so glad he wasn't chilly to me, like Kel.

Don't get me wrong, I always liked Kel when I read about her. I had no prejudices towards her, so I had no idea why she was acting so cold. But Neal was still talking, so I stopped pondering all this and paid attention.

"You'll just have to blend in until we find a way to send you back." He announced and flashed me another smile. Tamora Pierce never mentioned how often he smiles. Since she hadn't warned me of the frequency and quality of his smiles, I silently vowed to give her a good strong talking to when I got back to earth. Once more, I had to direct my thoughts back to the conversation.

"Neal, she's a girl. How will she fit in?" Kel pointed out.

"She could disguise herself. If she put her hair up in a hat..."

"A hat isn't going to help, Neal. She's shapely. Can't you see that?" At Kel's scolding, both Neal and I blushed a deep red.

"Could she pretend to be a maid?" He asked slowly.

"To who?" Kel wanted to know. When Neal opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off. "To you? Wyldon would never allow that."

Neal's mouth closed.

"I could find a place," I supplied in a meek tone.

Both of the pages stared at me; Neal began to laugh. "She's just like you, Kel," he exclaimed. Then he quieted. "You'd never be able to find your way in this castle, even if you've read about it. You should probably stay her. And get some other clothes." He turned to Kel, "Will my clothes fit her? Will yours? I think she's taller than you."

"She is, a little," Kel admitted. "Lalassa could get her some better clothes later, but right now she should wear yours."

Neal nodded good naturedly and told me where I could find an outfit. The two friends told me that they had to get to their classes and lunch (to get their punishment work for being so late, I'd imagined) and calmed my fears that somebody would come knocking on the door while they were away.

Of course, that was exactly what happened.


	5. Taina Meets a Horrid Boy

**Sorry, I realized that I made a mistake in one of the other chapters; I said Tortallians instead of Tortallans, even though the former sounds a lot better than the latter. **

**Sorry too that I haven't updated. Well, actually, I'm not that sorry because it's fun to make people stew. Not that many will, not many have read this, but that's alright. It's still fun.**

**Disclaimer: Guess. Any wild guess as to what I'm going to say.**

After I had put on some of Neal's clothes, I basically sat on his bed and stared at the walls. I never pictured myself in his room, and I wanted to remember the experience. While I was sitting there, someone knocked on the door.

I absolutely froze, half-way out of my position on the mattress. It was like sitting at home by yourself at 10'o'clock at night and having someone try opening the door. You want to go help them by opening it up, but what if it isn't someone you know? It's always your brother, or someone else who is supposed to be there, but there is that period where you go cold and wonder.

But I doubted that Neal would need me to let him in.

Then the person outside called, "I can hear you."

Stupid creaky mattress! Anyway, it would be pointless to act like I wasn't here now, so I grudgingly opened the door.

A very pretty boy was standing there: blond curls, blue eyes… Joren. The worst person I could possibly meet at this time and place.

"What do you need?" I asked him, my voice squeaking a bit. Then I decided it couldn't hurt to be polite, and added, "Sir."

"I'll ask you the same question. Why are you in a page's room wearing a page's clothing?" Joren squinted at me suspiciously. It ruined his tough, pretty boy look. He looked like a inquisitive cupid. Which almost made me laugh, because I kept comparing the look on his face to the little Fantasia cherubs, but I reminded myself that I was being polite, and smothered my giggle.

Well, maybe not _that_ polite. I told him, "Why are you snooping around outside another page's room when you are supposed to be in a page's class?"

His almost invisible blonde brows snapped together. "What are you, a maid? You should show some respect to a noble; answer me _now_."

I quickly came up with my story. "I want to become a knight, and Neal let me try on his breeches and hose so I could get used to them after wearing skirts for so long." I winced once I realized I had just incriminated Neal and branded him as a hose-lending kind of guy. I didn't think that he'd appreciate that much.

"Commoners can't become knights." Joren informed me loftily.

I glared at him. "Then why are you here?" I mumbled, then continued, louder, "Would you stop making inferences? You're no good at it. I never told you I was a maid."

"But—'' he began to say, and tried to push his way through the doorway I was conveniently blocking.

"No buts." I told him in my most stern, lofty voice. "Now, run back to class so you don't get in trouble."

And I closed the door in his very surprised and very angry face.

I slumped down, leaning against the wood in case he tried to force his way in and proceeded to mentally kick myself. I had just made an enemy of a guy who didn't get upset about locking a girl on top of a rickety tower, an act which he committed simply to satisfy a grudge. I can be so smart sometimes.


	6. Taina Gets in an Arguement

**Disclaimer: Do I have to keep writing this? You know what it is going to say.**

The rest of the day was spent the same as the beginning. I sat around, doing my best to make no noise, except I was now debating about whether to tell Neal and Kel about Joren, something I hadn't needed to worry about before. I had decided to tell them, but as always, when the time comes, your story flies out of you head.

So when Neal came back in, throwing me a roll and an apple, I just smiled, thanked him, and began to eat. He apologized that he wasn't able to get much, but he said Wyldon would ask a bunch of questions if he had tried to sneak some meat, from the tables or the cooks.

I licked my lips, and began to say, "Neal," Joren came here today and I told him a stupid story about why I was in here wearing your clothes but I don't think he believed me. What should we do?

In case you aren't an astute reader, I will point out to you that the whole explanation is out of the quotation marks. I didn't tell him anything.

Kel came in right then. And although she offered me another roll, I didn't think that she had decided to forgive me for showing up in her universe.

I figured I could wait and tell Neal later. Then I realized that it was nighttime, and I had to find somewhere to sleep. This would probably be Kel's room, which would mean I might not make it till morning.

I did spend the night there, actually and I did stay alive, probably because Lalassa (who was deathly afraid of me) was a witness Kel didn't want to deal with.

Lalassa got me an old chocolate colored dress and moccasins, so I assumed I wouldn't have to worry about Joren or anyone else questioning my gender or intent. I informed Kel when she woke up that I was going to look for a job and I would see her later in the day. She nodded her assent as she took her glaive form the wall. Afraid that her hand might 'accidentally' slip and the weapon might therefore 'accidentally' stab some person who happened to be in its way, I quickly left and went to Neal's room.

I knew he wasn't a morning person, but I also knew that I had to tell him about Joren and that earlier would be more appreciated than later; I had my suspicions that if Joren was going to do anything, he would act fast.

After some door banging and a short wait, Neal stuck his head out of his room, grinned when he saw who it was, and beckoned me inside. He sat down on his bed and started pulling on weird looking shoe-sort-of-short-boot things, and informed me that, "Since you already must know how grouchy I am in the mornings, I'm not going to apologize for any appalling behavior. You choose to come over now."

But through all the smiles he was throwing around, he wasn't acting like a grump at all. I was surprised he even thought of himself that way, because it was all seeming like a big lie right now. Maybe he had had a night of great dreams, or something. I hadn't, but I'm not hardly ever cranky, so I it didn't make any difference that my sleep was full of tall girls killing me. I wonder what that meant? I'm not very good with dream interpretation.

I shoved all this aside and said quickly, "I met Joren yesterday. He knows I was here, and I doubt he believed my wimpy story."

When he realized I was waiting for his reply, hands on my hips, he asked me "What's the matter? He won't bother you, he wouldn't dare."

"Neal," I snapped. "He kidnapped a maid. What would stop him from—'' And then I remembered that we were still in the second year. He hadn't kidnapped anyone yet.

Neal's mouth was hanging open; rage began clouding his face. Before he could say anything, I supplied lamely, "I bet he wouldn't mind abducting a maid, so long as she wasn't working for anyone really important."

He didn't believe me for a second, I knew it, but at least he let it drop, though I could tell that the injustice of it all was hurting his pride. Instead he said, "You'll be looking for someplace to work today, right? He won't be able to touch you."

With this, he began over to the door, not allowing me to voice my fears that Joren might bother him or Kel about it.

It turned out that I was right about that, though, because as soon as Neal stepped into the hall, he was shoved back in again. I noticed with a little pride somewhere in the back of my mind that I didn't scream when I saw Joren storming in and attacking my friend. I also noticed that I didn't help Neal at all. This didn't give me any pride whatsoever.

Neal was sprawled in the center of the room with Joren sitting on top of him, punching him in the face, which was, rather gruesomely, red, white, and blue.

But I only froze for a couple minutes. Which is not that good, but I have never experienced or witnessed a fight of any kind. All the groans and curses rolled over me, filling what was, at that time, a very empty mind. After that period of shock, I stalked over to the two and grabbed Joren's failing arm. I wasn't strong enough to pull him off of Neal, but I stopped his blows and caught his attention.

"You!" he screamed at me. "You insolent, little guttersnipe! I knew you were with him!" Now snarling at Neal, whose face was shining with blood, the noble continued, "Coddling girls, again, Queenscove? Hoping they'll get into bed with—''

That was definitely enough. I shook Joren's arm firmly, and when he turned toward me, I began my tirade, which all went extremely fast. "First of all, you have no reason to insult anyone of your stature. Second of all, I have it on good authority that guttersnipes lead fine and happy lives, so you don't need to be upset about your social status, which means nothing in the scheme of things. Thirdly, there is no good reason to insult or otherwise harm Nealan, who has nothing to do with any of your current problem with me. Which I would appreciate you explained, since I have no idea what it is that has set you so firmly against anything feminine." I think I said all of that in one breath.

Now my strength didn't matter; Joren got up all by himself. Neal was too winded to do anything but lie there helplessly, and I for one didn't blame him. But I would not have minded any help. I have never felt comfortable staring down a guy who just pounded another, older guy's face in.


	7. Taina Meets a Mysterious Boy

Joren began backing me toward the wall. I would have tried to stand my ground, but suddenly, I wasn't feeling quite as aggressive as before.

His blue eyes searched my face, for what, I'm not sure. I was worried by heart would beat a hole through my chest at any minute. That feeling escalated when my back brushed up against the wall. The one miniscule part of my brain that was functioning screamed at me to do something, anything to stop Joren from doing whatever it was he had in mind.

Grabbing my arm, the page started to twist it back. He took a breath to say something (vulgar and stupid, no doubt), but was cut off, because Neal had gotten up and kicked Joren's legs from under him.

My arm was promptly released, and the two started at it, attacking each other with amazing accuracy. I figured Neal wouldn't want to have to save me again, so I decided not to wade in.

It turns out I didn't have to. Their fight stopped fairly quickly, ending with Joren running out of the room and Neal slamming the door behind him. Faintly, I remembered that the pages weren't supposed to close their doors when the members of the opposite sex were in their rooms, but I didn't really care and neither did Neal.

He was busy splashing water on his face, trying to clean off the blood without bruising his cuts. Green light shone all around his face.

He turned towards me as he healed a crack in his lip. "Thanks for pulling him off me." He grinned. "You really showed him up."

"Yeah," I murmured. "You too." I gave him a sheepish smile. "I was scared silly."

"You didn't show it at all," he told me. "You could become a warrior if you wanted to."

"No, that's alright." I rubbed the arm that Joren had attempted to snap in half, and informed Neal that I would rather become a Player that go off to hurt myself in a war.

That part of my brain was thinking again. It noticed that the morning bell should have rung; I had been with Neal for at least 15 minutes. But, as usual, I discarded all that information as irrelevant, and continued to blunder through my life.

Neal finished healing his face, which was very disconcerting, since I had never witnessed any magical healing before. He noticed my surprised face and was about to comment when someone tapped on the door. I assumed it was Kel, hoping it wouldn't be Joren or Wyldon, but didn't come close to who it turned out to be.

**Disclaimer: I just thought I would pop this in someplace random. Neal, Kel, Joren, and Wyldon are all Tamora Pierce's, but Taina and Cori – ah, the stranger, are mine.**

Not even waiting for an answer, a tall, dark and handsome guy walked in. He had deep blue eyes and reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place my finger on who exactly.

The stranger gave me a small, sad, smile. "Do you recognize me?" His voice was soft and had the same melancholy seriousness as his smile.

Even with all these signs, I had no clue as to who this person was. Apparently, Neal felt the same and came over to where we were standing. "Look here, whoever you are-''

"Corinth Rhate." The newcomer answered, looking back toward me as I gasped.

"I wrote you!" A comprehension light bulb exploded in my head. "You're in the story I'm writing, but why are you in Tortall? That's in a totally different universe! You're supposed to be in Beilglam right now. Right? You just got attacked…" I blushed. The last thing I wrote for Corinth was his getting stabbed in the leg and knocked out. And now I was meeting the person on whom I had inflicted all that pain.

An apology was in order. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "But the ending works out better this way; it has to be like this."

I shifted uncomfortably under his steady gaze. "The author has all the power." In is quiet voice, it sounded like an insult.

The author knows best, I wanted to say, but I didn't think that would be appreciated by two fictional characters, both of whom could kill or maim me fairly easily. Instead, I supplied, "What are you doing here?"

"I don't argue with the author," Corinth raised one eyebrow slightly. "I just follow along with what they make me do."

"But I'm you're author," I pointed out. "And I didn't send you here."

Corinth shrugged, and began to leave. He called over his retreating shoulder, "The authors can do anything they want."

As suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. Neal stared at me, confusion spelled across his newly healed forehead.

"He's a character in the story I'm writing," I tried to explain. "But I have no idea why he was here."  
Neal still looked concerned, but there was no time to keep talking, because it was then that the morning bells chimed.

"That was very strange," he informed me.

I nodded absently, recalling about Corinth's words: _The author has all the power_.


	8. Others Find Themselves in a Jam

**Sorry I haven't updated, but I was on a lovely and refreshing vacation miles away from any computer, leagues away from anyplace with an internet connection. Anyway, here it is, the next exciting and riveting (not as much as, say, 24 or VeggieTales, but sort of riveting all the same) installment of Taina's story. Read away, my birds! **

**Disclaimer: It's mine, all mine! Don't you know that by now?**

**Oh, and I'm not sure if Magewhisper is Neal's horse when he is a page, or if that is really his mount's name when Neal becomes a knight, but I think it is. If I'm wrong, please correct me. Not that it will make much of a difference, because Magewhisper is not a crucial part of this story, at least I don't think she is, but corrections are always nice to have. Sometimes.**

**Sorry too that it is short, but it's just a filler. I'm working on the next part now, but you don't get to read it till later. Anyway, you can read this now.**

Neal trudged from Magewhisper's stall. It had taken him longer to rub her down today, maybe because he had been jumpy and preoccupied. He had only known Taina for one day, but he was very worried about her.

Somebody (namely Joren) could hurt her easily if that somebody really wanted to. Hopefully no one (namely Joren) would try anything while she was looking for a job, but he obviously had troubles that didn't apply to others, ones Neal couldn't even guess at.

Funny, he mused. I didn't spend that much extra time taking care of Magewhisper, but everyone has already left. At this, he quickened his pace, hoping not to be so late to lunch that The Stump gave him more punishment work on top of everything else keeping him busy until Midwinter.

Unfortunately, he started off too quickly, and tripped over a stone lying in the middle of the grass. Neal, from his close proximity to the ground, heard it begin to groan and thought his disturbing the rock had begun an earthquake. Before he had a chance to get up, black rushed up to fill his vision and he experienced the feeling of his legs being ripped apart from his torso. Little did he know that as he lost consciousness, another page was going through the same difficulty.

-- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - --

Kel rubbed her forehead, trying to puzzle out everything that had happened in the last two days. Taina had showed up, and Neal hadn't come to any morning classes. Now, the day after her arrival, Neal disappeared sometime between physical training and lunchtime. It was possible that he had left to help Taina find a job in the city, but he hadn't mentioned it to her. He hadn't told her much of anything since Taina came, in all honesty.

I wish Yaminis knew how to remove feelings beside just hide them, she complained silently. Being jealous of Taina is stupid. She didn't decide to be here, and I'm not even sure he likes her.

"Does making a face help you to think better?" Lalassa disrupted Kel's thoughts as she softly teased her friend and mistress.

"I wish," Kel muttered. "I have no idea about Neal or Taina or anything! They're both gone, and I figure it must have something to do with her, but that could just be me feeling bitter towards her. I wish I could just push it all aside and evaluate everything without cursed emotions trying to have their sway!"  
Lalassa laid down her sewing and looked the younger girl straight in the eye. "You're not a Vulcan, and be thankful for it. Life would be so dull. You have to tackle this new challenge and treat it with the same fervor you do everything else. I know you can do it, mistress."

She gathered up her mending and retired to her pallet after giving Kel a reassuring pat. "Get some rest."

Kel nodded and returned the smile, mulling over everything her maid had told her, and forget to finish her arthimetic assignment because she was so busy trying to discover what 'Vulcan' meant.

-- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - --

I didn't know any of this until later. I was actually trying to find my first job. In Tortall, unlike Florida, you don't have to be 16 to get an actual paying job. But there I was, wandering around the city, hoping to find something I could do so that I wouldn't be any more of a burden on Neal that I was already.

Just around lunchtime, I saw a theatre. I repeatedly kicked myself (mentally, of course) for not having thought of finding one sooner. My career, I am sure, lies on the stage somewhere, either acting or singing or something. I love and am fairly good at pretty much all of it. I practically ran up to the door. If I was going to get a job anywhere, it would be here.

All my thoughts of Corinth, Neal, Kel, Joren, even being caught in a different universe then my own flew from my head.

That is, of course, until I heard a deep thunder in the earth and the world started spinning before my eyes. I felt like my body was being stretched out on the racks, and everything faded to pitch black. I was headed someplace. Again.


	9. Taina Tries to Concentrate

**Slightly boring chapter ahead, just so that you are warned. But if you don't read it, you won't understand anything in the next chapters. So read it, or be confused. You choose. **

**Disclaimer: I really don't own much of anything, because almost all of my characters are based on real people or someone's (namely Mrs. Pierce's) characters.**

"Let's hear from, ahhhhhh, Taina!"

Light began to filter through the thick gray coating obscuring my vision.

"Excuse me?" I groggily replied. "Could you please repeat that?"

"Taina, could you give us the answer to number 8?"

"Sure." I shook my head, as if trying to shake some sort of 'tired ooze' out from my ears. My eyes finally cleared enough for me to see all my algebra materials on the desk in front of me. "Dr. Bates?" I gasped. "Why am I here? I—''

"Did you do the assignment?" Dr. Bates asked me with some surprise lingering on her face and in her voice. I always do my homework, and I always pay attention.

"Of course. The answer is, um," I scanned my paper. "x-squared over 25 minus the quantity y minus two squared over 64 equals one."

"Right. And, ahhhhhh, Ryan, could you give us the next one?"

I smiled up at my algebra teacher, and ducked my head, like I was looking down at my paper. I didn't understand how I managed to get here, back in the Algebra II class I had been hurrying to when I was sucked into Tortall. Shouldn't time stay the same or something? While I was in Tortall, just about 24 hours had passed, but probably only 24 minutes had passes here. And why hadn't I blacked out like I had when I went to Tortall?

I tried to make myself concentrate on hyperbolas, but my mind was back in Tortall. I jumped almost halfway out of my desk when Dr. Bates asked, "Neal, did you learn any of this where you came from?"

My head snapped around to see Neal, leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.

"You'll have to get the notes from someone, then."

"Yes, uh, m'am, I will," he replied, unsure as to what he should call her. Titles are quite different in our world than in his, and he luckily realized this. I'm not sure what she would do if he called her 'lady' or something.

I continued twisting around in my chair and staring at him. He was, for some fortunate reason, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, while I was still in my dress. I hoped that didn't mean that my old clothes were gone in some fictional country forever. I didn't think I could explain that to my mom.

Neal was also constantly wearing an expression of bewilderment. I must have looked the same when I arrived in his world, I decided.

No, another part of me said, you knew where you were, and some of the people you would meet. This is completely new for him.

Once the bell finally rang for lunch, I shoved everything into my book bag and hurried over to Neal's desk. I thanked my lucky stars yet again that he had gotten different clothes. Even worse than my wearing jeans in Tortall would be his wearing hose in high school.

"Is this where you live, then?" Neal asked me nervously. I had a feeling that 'nervously' would be how he said most things now.

"Sort of," I began to explain that we didn't all live where we went to school, but that was when I saw a curly haired blonde boy exit the classroom. "Oh, no!"

"What is it?" This question was both nervous and apprehensive.

"I thought I saw Joren." I grabbed Neal's wrist and dragged him over to the door. I searched the crowd, praying I was wrong and it was just Emma with bleached and curled hair. It wasn't.

I rushed up behind him, still pulling Neal along with me, and snatched Joren's elbow.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Little witch!" He snarled back. "I don't know what you've done, but you had better get me home right now!"

"Stone Mountain," Neal stepped in. "Have you forgotten the lesson from this morning already?"

"Don't fight, not here, not now!" I protested. "You guys are in the same boat now!" And you're going to have to tolerate each other until you get back!"

"You can send me back now!" Joren demanded.

"If wishes were watch bands," I snapped, getting ready for an argument. Then I relented, sighing. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so rude." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Please believe me when I say I didn't mean any of this, and I can't send you home. Now, we're all going to have to get along, because I want you both to stay with me until you can go to Tortall." My mini-speech done, I desperately hoped that Joren would calm down and Neal would back off.

"All right." Joren finally mumbled.

Neal nodded, in the same confused, jerky way as when I'd first met him. I smiled warmly back.

"Where can I find some food?" Joren asked, his eyes down and his hands stuffed deep in his pockets.

"I'll show you." I offered, and strolled ahead of the two, feeling just as sorry for Joren as for Neal.


	10. Taina Eats Some Real Food

**Disclaimer: Neal and Joren are not mine. Dang. If wishes were watch bands…But hey, Corinth totally is, so I win.**

I broke off a piece of a Hershey's chocolate bar and let it melt in my mouth. Looking seriously down at the rest of the candy, I murmured, "It's been too long since I've tasted heaven."

Joren gave me a strange look from where he was sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor.

"Do you want some?" I inquired, offering him a bit of my beloved chocolate.

"Not if it's anything like that 'pizza' you had me eat for lunch," he replied moodily, folding his arms over his chest.

I laughed anyway. How many guys got upset when you gave them candy because they are wary of pizza? Besides, now that I was finally back home, with my own bed and clothes and food (and my music! The hardest thing about life in Tortall was the absence of my stereo), life seemed great. Except for the fact that I had to buy two guys both lunch and clothing, I was doing fine. Luckily, neither Neal or Joren objected to Goodwill as a clothing store, so I didn't completely clean out my bank account.

Seeing my laughter, Joren smiled a bit too, but he tried his best not to show it. I could tell anyway; I have a younger brother, I know when boys are trying to hide the fact that they are pleased.

Silence fell in the room again. I had instructed each guy on how to use the shower and sent them off into my bathroom, which is connected to my bedroom. There is another one in the hallway, but my brother uses that one and I didn't want him to discover my two uninvited guests.

My plan was simple: 1) Make the boys take showers. 2) Lead the boys to my older sister's old room (She is in college, so doesn't sleep there anymore). 3) Go to sleep. That was the extent of my planning. I guessed they should go to school with me, but I wasn't even sure which classes they had. Hopefully, the same as me, but who could be sure?

At that point, Neal came out wearing the clothes I had bought him that day and stood aside to let Joren take his turn. I silently thanked my mom for making me clean my bathroom the day before and congratulated myself on the fact that my bathroom was not full of girly stuff that would make it unsuitable for any guy to use.

I suggested Neal try some of my chocolate bar, which was already half gone, and he did, not having felt the same as Joren about the pizza for lunch. He plopped onto the bed, sitting next to me, and readily helped himself to another piece of chocolate.

"Did mine ears deceive me, or did I hear laughter in here?" He cocked his eyebrow, assuming a comedic expression.

"Yeah," I giggled. "You know, he almost laughed. I could see him trying to stifle it. He has been relaxing all day; he smiled at the clothing store."

Neal laughed some more, but soon quieted, asking, "Have you thought about tomorrow? Should we come to school with you?"

"That'd probably be best," I admitted, nodding my agreement. "I have no idea what is going to happen yet, and you don't know anything about this world. I have to keep you two from getting into too much trouble."

As Neal got up and looked at my bookcase, stuffed full of all my favourites, I told him about each one in great detail. Between The Princess Bride and The Hawk and the Dove, a knock sounded on my door.

Both our necks cracked as our heads whipped around to view the doorway, which was full of Corinth's lean frame strolling into my bedroom. My heart sank. I had written more since I had gotten back, leaving him unconscious in an enemy stronghold, just before the evil mastermind discovers his true identity, bargains Corinth's life with all the people who want to kill him, and prepares to torture him for information about the heroine and the precious cargo that she carrying. Not something I would be happy about if it happened to me.

"Confused yet?" he asked in his quiet voice. It had an accent that fringed on southern, if there was such a thing in Beilglam, the country he came from.

Action in the back of my room caught my attention. Neal was advancing on my character, and fast. Corinth noticed too, but he let Neal both reach and punch him before twisting his arms behind his back and placing a dagger to his throat. "I don't know what your problem is, but you have to learn not to try that again." The knife was lowered. Corinth released Neal and pushed him away before turning his attention back to me.

"I'm sorry about barging in on you like this," he apologized, smiling wryly. "I'm supposed to be blacked out in that mansion by Sklarend, right?"

I traced the patterns on my quilt with one finger. "That would make a lot more sense then your being here. But I guess none one else is where they are supposed to be, so you might as well join the club."

Massaging his arm, Neal straightened and demanded, "Why do you keep coming here? I'm telling you this now; I don't trust you."

"That's one point for you. I'm not a person you should trust."

I knew his past. I knew what he was thinking. I had to protest at his unfair judgment. "That's not true, Corinth! I wrote you, and that's not true at all!" Then I realized I had just reminded him that I was the reason everything was happening this way. The only reason he doesn't kill me right now is because then he'd be stuck in that place forever, I scolded, mentally stabbing myself with a spoon.

Checking once more to ensure that his knives were all in the right places, Corinth glanced at me, walked out of the room and said over his shoulder, "The author has all the power."

"Why does he have to keep saying that," I sighed, not really looking for an answer. Then I remembered. "Neal! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He glared at the doorway. "That guy just rubs me the wrong way."

"He's alright. He's just had a tough life." Quoting another character from his story, I said, "He might act quiet and mysterious, but he's trustworthy."

"You know best," Neal shrugged and went back over to the bookcase as Joren emerged from the bathroom. His light blue eyes flicked between the silent Neal and me. He broke the tension by asking, "Do we have to eat that same stuff for lunch tomorrow?"

"No," I smiled at him. "I usually pack my lunch. I'll make some for you guys, too. On second thought," I took his wrist in my hand, ignoring his glower. "You should come with me and try the food before I pack it." As he started to argue, I added, "If you find you don't like it when you're at school, you'll have to eat pizza again." His eyes widened and his mouth closed as he glared at me.

"Neal, I'll make you some, too." I told him. "Do you want to come?"

"No, I'll stay here, if that's o.k. I'll eat anything you give me." He grinned and gestured at the many books. "I'd like to look at more of these."

"All right." I smiled at Joren. "Come on. Have you ever had tuna fish?"


	11. Tortallan Banner ed 1

**No Taina is this one, so you know, but I thought I should keep you posted on what's happening in Tortall.**

**Disclaimer: No one here is mine, but the personality of Burchard is mine, because Tamora Pierce didn't really write one for him, although he is mentioned in Squire.**

"Lalasa," Kel stormed into her bedroom.

"Lady! Why are you here? Aren't classes supposed to be in session, and you-'' Lalasa rushed to Kel's side.

"Neal and Joren are still missing. Both of them. They're conducting an official search for them. Taina's not here anymore either." Kel sighed, shook her head, and began a hand combat pattern dance as she continued telling her maid what was happening. "They don't know about that, but they might soon. They're going to ask all of us, like we're suspected in some crime!"

"But with two pages missing," Lalasa trailed off.

"I know, it could be seen as a crime, but how could they think any of us did anything?" Kel began a new pattern. "Duke Baird is distraught. Joren's father will be too, once he finds out. They've sent a messenger to Stone Mountain. It's possible that they will find Joren on their way, I mean, I don't know where he's gone. But they disappeared all at the same time, him and Neal and Taina."

Lalasa's face turned pale white. "What will they do if they find out that you know something about Neal?"

It was the first time in Lalasa's memory that Kel would not meet her eyes.

-- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- -

Lord Burchard of Stone Mountain listened quietly to the messenger groveling before him.

"They figured it would best if you knew as soon as possible," the messenger gasped, finally off his horse after hard riding for 5 hours. His horse was in a similar condition.

"Very well," Burchard nodded. "I thank you for your services. My men will see to a trip and accommodations for you and you mount until I have formulated a reply to My Lord Wyldon."

"Thank you, milord." The man bowed his way out of the room.

"Ebroin!" The steward came forward. "My son was gone missing."

"I heard, milord. Do you want me to go to Corus on your behalf as you search for him?"

"No. You may send Dillings and his group to look if you think it appropriate. I will be heading to Corus. To ensure that the job is done…" As he searched for the word, a shadow passed across Burchard's face. "Properly."


	12. Taina Reads the Newspaper

**Demcliasir: Taomra Peicre wtroe Nael and Jroen. I cmae up with the rset. But you konw taht ardlaey, dno't you? You had bteter.**

**And yes, I jsut feel lkie wirntig tihs way. My cmutpeor is gvinig me a hrad tmie with it, but I tnihk it's rghit taht if you use the smae lterets wtih the frist and lsat in the rghit sotps, tehn aybnody can raed it. I tinhk it is toaltly cool!**

I woke up so tired the next morning that I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out of my head. More pimples were marching defiantly up my forehead to my tiny widow's peak, so I spent extra time washing my face to make up for the time I spent in Tortall without cleansing facial soap.

When I came out of the bathroom, it was already 6:36, four minutes until I was supposed to leave to catch the bus. After throwing on blue jeans and a plaid button-down shirt, I hopped to my sister's room while trying to pull on my green shoes and found the guys sprawled out, sound asleep.

Because I am a kind person and I understand what it feels like to be rudely awaken on a cold morning, I flicked on the light. It had the desired effect of both guys jumping up and shielding their eyes.   
"We are late already!" I cried, frantically tying my other shoe. I left them to neatening up their appearances and hurried down the stairs, where I proceeded to heat up some Pop Tarts.

A minute or so later, Neal and Joren stumbled into the kitchen. I shoved their breakfast at them and slung my book bag across one shoulder.

"We are going to miss the bus, guys, come on!"

As we lurched through the front doorway, both of my companions groaned. Although he was open to the foods of this new world, even Neal disliked the bus ride he experienced yesterday on our way home from school.

"What is this thing?" Joren asked me, lengthening his stride to match mine.

"Just eat it," I told him. "You'll like it." It was a lie. I didn't even really like Pop Tarts. But I knew we all had to eat something. Especially me. I have low blood sugar, and I need my breakfast.

I heard the bus roaring and saw the light flashing, signifying its halt to gain passengers. It started rolling away and I knew we were too late. I also knew that my mother would not be willing to drive two complete strangers to school.

"Drat." I muttered, coming to a stop next to a newspaper box. (_A/N: Is that what they are actually called? I'm talking about one of those things that you put a quarter or whatever in and you pull open the door and take out a paper. Please review and tell me the answer I'm going to obsess about it until I find out._) "We've missed it. What are we going to do now?" I wasn't looking for an answer. At least, I didn't expect one. But with a glance at the newspaper, that changed.

**Taina Misses Bus, Corinth Makes Proposal**

Now I definitely wanted answers. With a headline like that, I knew that buying a newspaper today was necessity. I fumbled for 50 cents, and grabbed the paper with trembling fingers. The rest of the article read:

Taina Mackrel did not manage to ride the bus to school this morning, as she left her home of 4029 Doven Street at approximately 6:47 am as opposed to the normal time of 6:40.

Accompanied by Nealan of Queenscove and Joren of Stone Mountain, the reasons for her lateness, she understood that her mother would not drive her to school with her friends, so she was at a loss. Mackrel herself said, "What are we going to do now?"

Corinth Rhate, another of Mackrel's acquaintances, has proposed that they all meet at the downtown Starbucks at 10 am to discuss plans for the rest of the day. He has pointed out that, "Her mom volunteers at the library today, so she won't be able to find out about it. Besides, it's the only way we can clear all of this up."

Okay, I guess I'm going to Starbucks, I thought.

She has decided that this plan is a good one, and will go by bus to the coffee shop with Queenscove and Stone Mountain after spending some time at her house this morning. She has to bring with her

It finished with a list of things I was supposedly planning on bringing with me to the meeting with Corinth. I figured that there was no reason not to do as the article suggested. "Okay, guys, we're going back to my house."

"Why? What does it say?" Neal inquired, and without waiting for an answer took the paper from me and started to read.

"We are going to go see Corinth at Starbucks," I replied for the benefit of Joren, who had not stolen the newspaper from me. "At least, we are at 10. Until then, we're going to hang out at my house."

"How are we getting to meet him at, er, Stubbocks?"

This comment from Joren made me laugh so hard that Neal responded for me. "By bus!" The moans that both boys made were so pitiful I had to laugh again before I shushed them and led them into my silent house.


	13. Taina Comes to a Horrid Realization

**Be prepared: a Matrix-esque twist is in Taina's future. You cannot truthfully say that I didn't warn you.**

**Disclaimer: If Starbucks were mine, I would be living in a state of eternal bliss. Oh, and I don't own Neal or Joren either. I don't own anything except a couple of CD's.**

The Starbucks was fairly deserted when Neal, Joren and I came in at 10am sharp. I ordered a vanilla bean frappaccino (A/N: I don't know how to spell this word and I don't think that it is in the dictionary. If it is wrong, please don't kill me.) for each of us, and we sat down at a small table in the back of the coffee shop.

Neal had been quiet all morning, but after we had gotten on the bus, it turned to silence. When I had asked him if he was tired, he thought for a moment before nodding. It made sense; Joren had mentioned that Neal had stayed up late reading a book the night before. So I kept trying to strike up conversation with the other page, which produced mixed results. I was in the middle of persuading him to try the drink I had bought for him when Corinth came up with hot apple cider and sat down next to me.

"You like the apple cider?" I casually inquired.

"Yup. Do you like the frappaccino?" he coolly replied.

"I love frappaccinos!" With a glare at Joren, I added, "I can't say the same for these guys. He won't even try it."

Corinth shrugged and sipped the cider. "He's new here. You should give him time to adjust."

"You're new here, too."

I had hoped for some answer as to why we were all here, but Corinth just said, "I do what my author writes for me."

"But I never wrote this!" How did I always come back to this? Nothing had changed for him since I had seen him last, but his situation was not prime.

Luckily, he chose not to pursue that topic of conversation any further, but just leaned back in his chair and turned his sad, blue eyes on me as his story began. "I thought that the Isle and Beilglam, Velgia and Barthland and the Erub Strait, I thought all of it was the world. The one and only universe. I never would have guessed that there was a planet called Earth with countries like Russia or Egypt existed. And I'm not so sure that they do even now.

"If one world I've been in isn't real, how can I tell if this one is? What if we are living in a story, and none of us are real?" Corinth raised one eyebrow as he looked at me.

"Neither you or these two are real, I mean, you've been written by somebody. I haven't been; I was born, not invented. I even have a belly button to prove it," I retorted, still not quite sure what he was attempting to say.

"But how do you know that you haven't been written for this story?" he persisted. "Isn't it possible that you are in a story too?"

My skin went cold and I felt like my brain soared out of my body to sit back and watch myself go numb.

Because I figured it must be true. All the stuff that had been happening didn't make sense in the real world. Nobody could know what was going to take place before it actually did. Nobody could be transported between worlds. Nobody who was real.

"So," I felt amazingly calm for someone who had just discovered that they were fake. "What should we do now?"


	14. Tortallan Banner ed 2

**Sorry it's taken me so long, but I'm done with AP tests now and almost done with all my plays and shows and everything! I finally have had the chance to sit down and type something that is not a speech or an English paper. So here you go. It's stupid, but…**

**Anyway, tomorrow night is opening night for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I'm in it, so wish me luck! Except, it is not wise to wish an actress luck, we usually tell each other to break a leg (our lives are sort of backwards) so, I'd rather you said that than expressed any well wishes. **

**Anyway, now you can read…**

**Disclaimer: I have not created Neal or Joren or Wyldon or Burchard or…**

Lord Burchard had been at court for two days before Kel was called before Wyldon and asked about the two boys disappearing. All of her friends had gone and come back saying that it wasn't too bad, but Owen had been pale as a sheet when he came out.

She figured as she trotted to her training master's office that the suspense was the worst thing of all. The past week of days doing nothing but extra math work and wondering what she should say about Neal and Taina had done no good for her nerves.

Tapping on the door of Wyldon's office, she clasped her hands behind her back. Upon entering, Kel bowed to the men in the room. Wyldon was there, offering her a chair at a bare table and looking grim; Duke Baird was in a seat near the table with his head in his hands. Lord Burchard, whom she had never met, stayed standing when Wyldon took a seat on the other side of the table. The blonde man looked like his son: cold blue eyes, arrogant chin, but his hair wasn't as curly as his son's and his face not as pretty.

Kel sat down in the uncomfortable wooden chair as Duke Baird looked up. She directed her gaze bake to Wyldon. Her insides twisted when she saw her best friend's father with red eyes and a lost look on his long face. He tried to give her an encouraging smile, but it only made Kel feel worse.

"You are aware that both Nealan of Queenscove and Joren of Stone Mountain are missing," Wyldon intoned, continuing when she nodded. "Both pages attended morning classes but were gone sometime before lunch. Do you have any information about either page's disappearances?"

Kel wet her dry lips and came to the realization that speaking to a mirror and speaking to the Stump are two very different things. "I don't know about Joren, sir, but there was this girl, who, well, came here? I'm not sure where from or how, but Neal, er, found her, I think, when she was unconscious, and I haven't seen her since we, um, helped her to find a job, sir."

Wyldon's face stayed the same, expression never changing, as did Burchard's, but Duke Baird's was showing a slight hope as he listened to her words. The knot in Kel's stomach tightened.

"I really don't know what it means, sir, I just thought that it might prove, ah, useful." Kel wanted to give a relieved sigh that it was all over, but her Yamani training took over and she stared up into Wyldon's scarred face.

"Do you know her name?" he questioned.

"I believe it was Taina, sir." Before he asked her the next one, she supplied, "I didn't get a last name, and she wasn't a noble. She wasn't from a country I had heard of, sir, its something like, um, Amarecca."

"Where was she the last time you saw her?" Burchard demanded, earning a reprimanding glare from Wyldon.

"She went to the city, the day they, uh, were gone. To find a job. So I guess that morning was the last time." Kel swallowed, remembering that same time was the last she had seen of Neal, or anyone had seen of Joren, the last normal morning she had had. "As I said before, sir, I'm not sure it this means anything, but-''

Burchard interjected once more. "Who knew about her?"

"Just me and Neal, I think, sir." She shifted uncomfortably as Burchard hissed in exasperation.

"You think? You don't know?"

Wyldon turned around to face Burchard as he snapped, "Excuse me, my lord, but I believe that I am supposed to be the one conducting this investigation. If you are unable to let me do my job without interruption, I will have no choice but to escort you out of-''

Just then, a girl a bit older than Kel crept into the room and whined, "I don't mean to bother you, but Duke Baird, we need you in the infirmary." Her scared eyes kept darting to peek at the other men in the room.

"Oh, oh, yes, of course you do, of course." The duke blinked tiredly and rose from his seat. As he left, he caught Wyldon's eye and nodded slightly.

The training master tore his gaze away from Burchard and returned his stare to Kel. "No one else knew of this girl? Are you sure? Baird said that was a lie."

"I'm sorry!" Her Yamani training prevented her from squealing, but only just. "Lalassa knows. My maid. I forgot about her." Kel noticed that as she added this, Burchard's face was growing steadily darker. "That's all I know, my lord. I'm not even-''

"That's fine." Wyldon looked weary. "You may leave."

Glad to be allowed an escape from Burchard's furious presence, she practically ran from the room.

Once she was out of earshot, Joren's father exploded. "She knew more than she was letting on. Why did you let her go?"

"I know the girl, my lord." Wyldon didn't even look up from the papers he was holding. "She won't lie. And she misses Queenscove more than she dislikes your son. She'll help us as much as she can."

"So you won't consider pushing her harder?"

"She's told us everything. I will not harm her in hopes of finding information she does not possess."

Speaking in a voice only he could hear, Burchard said, "She knows where he is. Soon, so will I."


	15. Taina Finds Something Important

**Okay, fine, so you get two chapters tonight. Maybe I'm trying to appease you all for making you wait so long. Anyway, this is a cool chapter, so read on. We are so close to the good part, even I'm excited to see how it will turn out!**

**Disclaimer: Oh, whatever, just read!**

I heard a car honk outside the coffee shop. After I finished wiping tears of laughter from my eyes, my reaction to all of the guys' reactions to the horn, I noticed the door leading out of the Starbucks open by itself, but a girl about my age leave the shop. It was like she materialized there in the middle of her walking somewhere. The she got into the car and drove away.

"Did you guys notice that?" I asked them, gesturing at the door.

"Yeah," Corinth agreed. "Where did she come from?"

I shrugged and looked around the whole store again. There was an entire table I hadn't even noticed when I first came in, one with a bag hanging off the back of one of the chairs. "What's that?" I went over and opened it up to reveal a wallet, some hard candies and pencils, and a tattered green notebook full to bursting with scribbled on papers. While I was flipping through the notebook, Corinth was looking inside the wallet and Neal was stealing a red Life Saver.

"Her name is Amanda Connors, according to this ID card. And she lives here in Naples." Corinth announced. "Does Cortez Boulevard mean anything to you?"

"Yup. It's right by my own house. She lives there?" I asked. I sounded perfectly calm as I said that, so it must have been a shock to everyone when I let out a tiny scream and dropped the notebook like it was red hot, sending loose papers fluttering all over the floor. I collapsed in the chair nearest me and put my head in my hands. Both Neal and Joren gathered up the looseleaf and Corinth sat down next to me.

"What happened to you? You look like you've seen a ghost." He seemed genuinely concerned. It was the first time I had even perceived him to be the kind of guy who would show his concern on the outside. So I told him. He would have found out anyway.

"That girl was my author, I guess. This whole thing with you and me and Neal and Joren, it's all in that book. She's writing our story. And I guess she forgot it, and only wrote that when she was in the store we couldn't see her, so now that she's left, we can see things for what they really are. Thanks," I said as Joren handed me back the notebook.

"So she's written all of us?" he asked me, sitting down.

"I don't think so. I mean, I've read about you and it doesn't say anything about you that's from the books. I bet it's just a fan fiction. I've written them before. But I guess this is a really weird one because it takes place in Florida as opposed to Tortall. Or is she just writing this for us to believe and none of it's true at all?" I slumped back in my seat. "This is so confusing."

"How can it be true if she didn't write it? Did she?" Neal asked. "Check the pages, see if us doing exactly this is written in there."

"It's not." I told them after a quick verification. "So let's assume that Amanda just made a mistake. Let's go to her house and corner her there, so we can get back to our own lives again."

We ran from the Starbucks to the nearest bus stop, and spent the ride back to my neighborhood in awkward silence. Then we headed to Cortez Boulevard, the polka-dotted bag holding the green notebook that held all of our lives slung over my shoulder.


	16. Taina, I mean, Tortall, er, Make That

**Yes, Joseph was awesome! It was the funnest (yes, funnest) show I've ever done so far! Thanks to all of you who wished me bad luck; it must've really helped. And I'm officially over my Post-Theatre Traumatic Stress Disorder now, so I've managed to type some of this up, although it was getting to long for me to continue to a really good breaking point, so I had to leave it where it is. Which is pretty weird. And if you've thought this story confusing so far, you won't understand this chapter at all. I like it, though. Anyway…**

**Disclaimer: I never actually created Tortall. It has always been inside my heart…**

"How corny," I muttered, reading the last entry in Amanda's story. "Listen to this: 'Speaking in a voice only he could hear, Burchard said, "She knows where he is. Soon, so will I."' It's so cheesy."

Neal made a face and held out his hand. "Can I see that?" Flipping to the section I had just read, he scanned over it. "He's going to hurt Kel!"

"Maybe, but he won't have the chance." Neal gave me a quizzical look. "Really! If we have what Amanda's been writing in with us, she can't write until she gets it back."

Kel ran up the hill by the stables. She had been so upset after her questioning that she had to go out and brush Peachblossom until hi coat was shining. Burchard made her nervous, but seeing Duke Baird so lost and knowing how helpless she herself was made her so frustrated.

Mulling over this, Kel didn't notice the figure behind her. However, she did notice when that figure clouted her on the head and she slipped from consciousness.

Amanda reread the last bit of the fanfiction she was typing up. She liked how the last sentence sounded, just the tiniest bit witty.

Placing her fingers back on the keyboard, she realized she forgot if she had specified which men Burchard had brought with him on his trip to court. But her notebook wasn't in her room, she noticed, after glancing around it. She looked through all the places she thought it would likely be, and discovered that her shoulder bag wasn't in the house either.

"I must have left it in the Starbucks. I hope Mom gets home soon and can drive me back there." Amanda flopped onto the couch and stared up at the newly repainted white ceiling. Then she sat up straight as she remembered who had been sitting in that Starbucks with her. "Crap!"

"This is the place," Corinth broke off his conversation with Joren to point out the one storey house. "2832 Cortez Boulevard."

Although it was a small home, it had a nice feel about it. It was quaint, but happy like a little cottage full of cute animals and a joyful family where everyone got along. Painted a pale pink with white trim, the house had little pink and white flowers growing all the way around the mailbox, empty driveway, and house itself. Trees peeked over the salmon colored tile roof, and the place was firmly established as perfect when I noticed a calico kitty sunning itself by the flowers. Cat people can never be completely horrible.

I couldn't tell if Amanda was home, but I couldn't find any harm with going up and knocking on the door, so I started up the driveway. Yes, I started. I couldn't get more than a few steps before Neal grabbed my elbow.

"What are we planning on doing when we see her anyway?" he asked. "She probably won't like meeting us."

"I'm going to give her piece of my mind, for one." Joren piped up. "Who does she think she is, tearing us away from our lives at the slightest whim!"

"Save it for her," I interrupted his building fury, then added, "And she knows who she is: the author."

"Well, if we can get her to send us back to Tortall, I'd be a lot happier." Joren said firmly.

"No! Er, Taina," Neal tried to get his voice back to respectable level, having just yelled at me. "Please, can I talk to you a minute?"

"Er, sure."

He dragged me over to the mailbox, and glared at me. "How can you consider letting Joren go back? You read the book; you know that he, well, you know…"

It was then I understood why he'd been so silent the whole morning. If he had been up the whole night reading, and if he had discovered the fate of his fellow page… "You read your books! You read the Protector of the Small series and you found out what happens to everyone, you and Kel and Joren, everyone!"

"Not all of them. Just the middle two. I couldn't finish the last one, and I already knew what had happened in the first book." he admitted.

"Neal, I didn't want you reading those because of this, because the whole story and everyone's lives will be messed up if you change things. You just have to trust the author with this kind of stuff."

Amanda ran back up to her room and threw herself into the search for her bag, knowing that it wasn't there the minute she glanced around. After a minute or two of inevitably fruitless searching, she heard voices in the front yard. Peering out the window, she saw three boys and a girl, two of them, her own creations.

And she didn't want them to meet her. Ever. But Taina was holding her bag with her notebook tucked inside. So she'd have to create a distraction.

"It's my life! Or his," Neal told me in a furious whisper. We were both hoping Joren wouldn't get curious and overhear our debate. "I'm not comfortable just sitting back and—''


	17. Taina to Kel to Amanda to Taina to Amand

**Here's a long one, guys. So I'm not going to spend a lot of time dilly-dallying about with important speeches or anything. So…(Back in Canaan, the future looked rough; Jacob's family was finding it tough) Excuse me. So…**

**Disclaimer: Four of the characters are not mine. I am, however, proud to be the creator of the two new additions to this story.**

Then he disappeared. Right in the middle of his sentence. It was weird. There were no bright lights or loud noises, he was just there and then he wasn't.

I looked over the other two guys, who were thankfully still standing in the driveway where I had left them. They were staring at the spot he had just occupied with, in Joren's case, barely concealed fear. Actually, Corinth didn't seem upset at all, but probably he was as nervous as Joren on the inside.

"What did you do to him?" Joren asked me, appalled.

"Nothing!" I said, maybe a little too forcefully. "He was talking to me when-

Neal seemed to materialize in front of the dark wooden wall of the shack where Kel was being held by some of Burchard's men.

She would have gasped if not for her gag. Nevertheless, Neal noticed her and rushed to her side, pulling the fabric from her mouth.

"Kel!" he whispered frantically. "Are you alright? What have they done to you? If they've done something to you, I'll-" Then he came to his senses, pausing in his growing tirade to ask his first (according to Kel) intelligent question. "How did I get here?"

"More importantly, where have you been? That's why Burchard has me here, he wants to know where Joren has gone. Classes have been cancelled so that they can conduct a search for you two. They've been questioning everyone." She looked at the floor, not able to meet his eyes. "Your father has been, well, he's upset. You need to go see him."

"But you're hurt," he protested, healing a small cut on her face. "What did they do to you?"

"They just asked me what you had done with Joren. They think you've taken him somewhere."

She was interrupted when a man poked his head around the door.

"Hey! Lou! Come take a look here at this!"

Another man came into the room. "Stan, that's the boy we're to be catching."

"I know it, Lou." Stan replied.

"Well, then. You can go first if you would like."

"Aw, no, that's alright. I don't mind being second. Buts thanks for the offer, anyways."

Through the entire polite conversation, Kel had been motioning to Neal to leave however he had gotten in and go to get help. But he had been watching the two men's well-mannered dialogue with interest. That is, until Lou shrugged good-naturedly and ran to Neal with a cry of rage, knocking him on the head and letting Stan tie his hands. Kel rolled her eyes and didn't fight the big man as Lou replaced the gag.

"Sorry, miss," he offered apologetically. "Orders are orders." He turned away from her and hollered, "Stan! Could you please go tell Master Burchard that we've found the other page?"

"It'd be a pleasure!" came the cheery reply.

Inwardly, Kel sighed. It had been a long day.

Amanda looked up from the computer screen and cast a quick glance out the window. They were all still standing there, except for Neal.

She smiled smugly to herself. So it had worked. They weren't paying attention to her house anymore, but to the spot where she guessed Neal had been before he disappeared.

Opening her window a crack, she could hear what they were saying. It was a good idea to stay up to date on what her, for lack of a better word, enemies (at least for right now) were doing.

Enemies. That's what they were. And it was all Taina's fault. For noticing her when she left the Starbucks and for knowing where her house was. It was a new feeling, hating an enemy. Especially an enemy she had created.

She leaned back over the keyboard and typed.

Not long after Stan

Amanda paused and glanced out at Taina once more, questioning her last thoughts.

Why had she decided Taina was such a foe? She honestly didn't seem to be much of a threat. The person that could hurt her most was Corinth. But why would he want to? She hadn't done that much. At least not in Neal's, Joren's, or Taina's case. Corinth was in for a lot, but nothing he couldn't handle. And they all wanted to go home. At least, Corinth, Joren, and Taina did. Neal was still upset about what he had read in Taina's books, but there was nothing he could do about that from where he was right now.

No. She stopped those thoughts and returned her fingers to their respective computer keys. She needed to stop them from meeting her, and then the story could go the way she had planned it. Just as soon as she got her notebook back.

-well, you saw, he, well, vanished." I gestured to the patch of crushed grass next to the mailbox.

"Are you sure she can't still be writing about us?" Joren asked me. "Because that doesn't seem like a normal happening."

"I don't know!" I cried, exasperated. "I'm not sure of much of anything right now!"

There was silence for a few moments. I mean, the world isn't very silent in Florida at 3'o'clock in the afternoon, with the cars racing around and the music of construction workers blaring, not to mention that you can practically hear the scorching beams of sunlight melting the asphalt. And this was what I was thinking about during that minute of quiet instead of concentrating my weary brain on finding an answer to my current problem.

But apparently, noise wasn't an issue for Corinth, since he said later, "If she can write about all of us, can't we write too? Not about her, since she's not a character, but can't we write about all of us and write Neal back here?"

I pondered this new idea. "You know, I think-

"He's right!" Amanda sighed, listening at her window to the conversation. "If I can write fanfiction, they can, too. That makes life a little more difficult."

-you're right! If she can write fanfiction, we can, too. That makes life a little easier." The sun seemed to shine a little brighter after I realized this. That fact didn't make me happier, though I couldn't be too upset about anything now that an end to this crazy period of my life was in sight. "Do you have any paper?"

"Check the bag." Corinth suggested. I could have kissed him.

"Got it." Plopping the bag on the ground, I sat down next to it and took out the notebook.

An author myself, I know how horrible it is to have someone write in your personal notebook. I also know how horrible it is sitting next to a roasting mailbox after seeing someone evaporate in front of your eyes and what it means to wonder if you will be next. So I pulled out a purple mechanical pencil and set it to the paper.


	18. Taina Comes to an End

**Sorry, guys. I have found that algebra class really was my inspiration. And now that I'm in Fame, I am so busy. But finally it's done! This is the last chapter, so it's kind of long and pretty confusing, but I'm sure you all can deal. It is complete! What I have been waiting for forever! Ah ha ha ha! And in case you wanted to know, the Hawaiian state fish is the humuhumunukunukuapuaa. **

Amanda's fingers flew over the keyboard. She had heard what the three were planning out there, and she needed to make sure she could stop them.

Burchard followed Stan into the shack, looking at Neal with disgust.

"Wake him up," he snapped.

"Right, sir, very good," Lou rushed forward and shook the unconscious page as

Neal appeared back in Florida, in the lawn in front of the pink house.

"It worked!" I exclaimed, looking over at the limp boy. Realizing that he was knocked out, I added,

He sat up groggily and checked to make sure he didn't have any life threatening injuries or missing limbs. Satisfied, he turned to his three friends.

"I am very, very confused," Neal admitted, looking at us with a funny look. "And please put that thing away." He meant the pencil. "I don't need anyone else writing for me to do stuff."

I obliged him, shoving the pencil in the bag by my side, and

The girl was sitting right where Neal had been. Lou thought it was a little odd that she wasn't unconscious, too, but he supposed she wasn't the one he had hit earlier. Deciding this girl was entirely awake, as she was squealing louder the longer he shook her, Lou stood back and let Burchard see the new arrival.

"Is this the Taina you've been going on about?" he sneered at Kel. Without waiting for an answer, Burchard turned his attention to Taina. "Where is my son?"

"In a country called America in front of a pink house with my friend Corinth," she said snottily. Then

Taina arrived back to her friends. So I was right! Corinth thought triumphantly. We can write about anyone who's a story character! "Too bad this Amanda isn't one," he mulled out loud.

I thought about what he said. "You're right. We can't touch her if she keeps writing us away. But if we write ourselves to her…"

Amanda looked up as a girl and three guys arrived in her bedroom. She reached out to start typing, but was stopped by Corinth, who had grabbed one of her wrists in a swift movement.

"Wow!" Taina exclaimed at the lavender painted walls. "My room is only white."

"Really?" Amanda smiled slightly. "I wanted it a deep royal purple, but my parents wouldn't let me."

"My favourite color is royal purple." Taina paused. "Or sick alien blue, but I wouldn't want my walls that color."

"Guys,"

"I don't think I would either." The other girl almost started to giggle.

Joren rolled his crystal blue eyes and stepped into the conversation. "Can we all just go home now? And stop talking about purple? Walls are much better painted goldenrod yellow."

"Goldenrod?" Neal scoffed. "What ever happened to just plain yellow?"

"It's not yellow! It's darker! More goldenrod-y!" Joren protested.

"Guys!" Corinth repeated, this time louder. "I have a lot of things to do back home. I'm sure you all do, too! Can we please get sorted out and go back to our normal lives?"

"No!" Neal turned pale and blurted out, "That'd be as bad as murder!"

"Why? Do you die?" Joren asked. "Maybe that stupid girl kills you, that'd be a laugh!"

"Actually, you—"

Neal and Kel sat across a mess table from each other, Joren on the right side of Kel.

"Why are you sitting here?" Neal asked with some surprise.

"I don't know," he muttered. "I don't spend time with the lump girl."

"Then why don't you leave!" Owen held up a chubby fist.

"I-I, well, I—" he stuttered, trying to think of a comeback. All he could come up with was, "What do you think I am doing?" before he dashed across the hall to his mates' table.

"What's going on?" Neal leaned over the table and asked.

"So you're sure that they won't remember anything?" I asked Amanda.

"I wrote it, right? And I'm the author, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." I backed off. It had all happened so fast, though. We had been talking and having a fine time and then she had written them back so fast. It was the right thing to do, I knew, but it didn't really make me happy.

"Do you want to forget everything, too?" Amanda was asking Corinth. "You don't have to, you know. I just didn't think that Neal should know ahead of time that Joren was going to die in their next book."

"I don't want to remember," Corinth shook his head furiously. "It will change everything. I know that it will."

"You're sure?" Amanda and I were both hoping that he would choose to stay here, at least, I knew I had been hoping for that. At first, he had scared me, with his quietly cold demeanor, but I had warmed up to him and found myself really enjoying his company.

"I have things to finish there." He smiled at me, sadly, like when he had first met me, and closed his dark blue eyes, letting Amanda's typing sounds fill the lilac bedroom.

He had been right. Drumbeats pounded out a march in Corinth's head, but his leg wound had been bandaged and the bleeding stopped.

And that was how Corinth left. Amanda hadn't wanted to write the rest of her story while I was standing there, which I understood, but now that everything had been sorted out, I wasn't quite sure what to do.

So, I decided to leave. "Well," I began, ready to say my goodbyes and go home.

"Do you really like the walls?" She asked me shyly.

"Yes! I can't wait until we redo my bedroom." I plopped onto the bed, changing my mind about going home. "Did I ever introduce myself properly? I'm Taina."

Sitting at her computer, Marina laughed as the typed the end of her fanfiction. If that didn't confuse everybody…


End file.
